The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Azalea, botanically known as Rhododendron hybrida, an evergreen greenhouse-forcing type Azalea, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Scarletxe2x80x99.
The new Azalea is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Azalea varieties having uniform plant habit, profuse and uniform flowering, dark green foliage, good foliage retention during the cooling and forcing periods, resistance to Cylindrocladium, and excellent postproduction longevity.
The new Azalea originated from a cross made by the Inventors in November, 1992, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Azalea seedling selection identified as YB-0335, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Azalea seedling selection identified as YB-0815, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Azalea was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., in May, 1995. The selection of this plant was based on its semi-double flower form, rich red flower color, ruffled petal margins, very large flower size, uniform flowering response, very good foliage retention, and excellent postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Azalea by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since October, 1995, has shown that the unique features of this new Azalea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The new Azalea has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, light intensity, relative humidity, fertilizer rate and type, and/or water status without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Scarletxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Scarletxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Small and very dark green glossy leaves that do not abscise during the cooling and forcing periods.
2. Large plants with dense and outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit.
3. Very freely branching habit; usually about 4 or 5 lateral branches develop after pinching.
4. Rapid flowering response; plants begin flowering about 25 days after cooling treatment.
5. Numerous, large and showy rich red-colored flowers.
6. Semi-double flower form.
7. Ruffled petal margins.
8. Excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good flower substance for about four weeks in an interior environment.
9. Low incidence of infection with Cylindrocladium in inoculated trials.
Plants of the new Azalea differ from plants of the female parent, the selection YB-0335, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Azalea have better lower foliage retention than plants of the selection YB-0335.
2. Plants of the new Azalea are earlier to flower and flower more uniformly than plants of the selection YB-0335.
3. Plants of the new Azalea have much longer postproduction longevity than plants of the selection YB-0335.
Plants of the new Azalea differ from plants of the male parent, the selection YB-0815, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Azalea have semi-double flowers whereas plants of the selection YB-0815 have semi-double, hose-in-hose flowers.
2. Plants of the new Azalea flower have rich red-colored flowers whereas plants of the selection YB-0815 have coral-colored flowers.
3. Plants of the new Azalea have much longer postproduction longevity than plants of the selection YB-0815.
Plants of the new Azalea can be compared to the plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Prizexe2x80x99, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,795. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Azalea differed from plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Prizexe2x80x99 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Azalea have semi-double flowers whereas plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Prizexe2x80x99 have double, hose-in-hose flowers.
2. Plants of the new Azalea have lighter colored flowers than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Prizexe2x80x99.
3. Plants of the new Azalea are more tolerant to low temperatures than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Prizexe2x80x99.